How do you stay calm?

[jamielaing]

Last night playing in the medal off a 12 handicap I played very well and took away a nice handicap cut.

Really happy with the way I played however I am still disappointed after a poor run in. After 7 I was 1 under par. 4 bogeys on the trot had that at 3 over. A nice run of pars saw me on the 17th tee at 3 over par with two easy holes to finish.

A fluffed chip and a 3 putt left me with a double bogey and a poor approach and 3 putts on 18 gave me a bogey.

I was trying so hard to stay calm on the last 2 holes and can't help but feel I wasted 3 shots due to wanting it too much.

So, how do you stay calm and focused in these situations?

 

[Albanach]

Cliche but deep breaths & 1 shot at a time plus I started using the new golf thinking scorecard last season and I think it made a difference to me but still far from perfect.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Last night playing in the medal off a 12 handicap I played very well and took away a nice handicap cut.

Really happy with the way I played however I am still disappointed after a poor run in. After 7 I was 1 under par. 4 bogeys on the trot had that at 3 over. A nice run of pars saw me on the 17th tee at 3 over par with two easy holes to finish.

A fluffed chip and a 3 putt left me with a double bogey and a poor approach and 3 putts on 18 gave me a bogey.

I was trying so hard to stay calm on the last 2 holes and can't help but feel I wasted 3 shots due to wanting it too much.

So, how do you stay calm and focused in these situations?

I just try and focus solely on the shot in hand and try and put from my mind what has gone before and what might come for that hole and the round. Once I have decided upon my shot I try not and have any negative 'what-if' thoughts and just try and play the shot I want. But that is easier said than done - though through practice I am not bad at doing it. That said it's a long time I've been in your situation so I don't know how I'd cope. Was one under gross playing 17 and ended up over over. Never bneen that close to level since - and that was 20yrs ago.

 

[Marshy77]

Did you rush the putts or didn't you get in a position to 2 putt? I'm no expert but maybe just take a a few seconds to properly look at the situation (obviously without causing slow play ) and see if the putt isn't makable to putt up to a distance you feel comfortable making. I always got told to putt to within a binlids distance

 

[Albanach]

I just try and focus solely on the shot in hand and try and put from my mind what has gone before and what might come for that hole and the round. Once I have decided upon my shot I try not and have any negative 'what-if' thoughts and just try and play the shot I want. But that is easier said than done - though through practice I am not bad at doing it. That said it's a long time I've been in your situation so I don't know how I'd cope. Was one under gross playing 17 and ended up over over. Never bneen that close to level since - and that was 20yrs ago.

Similar to that my father missed a putt for a gross 69 round Western Gailes and unfortunately missed it - his playing partner sensing the disappointment said "you'll never get another chance to do that"...guess what he was right.

 

[shortstuff]

Last night playing in the medal off a 12 handicap I played very well and took away a nice handicap cut.

Really happy with the way I played however I am still disappointed after a poor run in. After 7 I was 1 under par. 4 bogeys on the trot had that at 3 over. A nice run of pars saw me on the 17th tee at 3 over par with two easy holes to finish.

A fluffed chip and a 3 putt left me with a double bogey and a poor approach and 3 putts on 18 gave me a bogey.

I was trying so hard to stay calm on the last 2 holes and can't help but feel I wasted 3 shots due to wanting it too much.

So, how do you stay calm and focused in these situations?

Stop keeping score as you go along, and take it one shot at a time, one hole at a time. Retrospective analysis of which holes cost you is fine but in-game analysis will ruin you.

 

[Keeno]

Stop keeping score as you go along, and take it one shot at a time, one hole at a time. Retrospective analysis of which holes cost you is fine but in-game analysis will ruin you.

This isn't really possible if your three over par and on a score, you know your score when your close to par. If your 16 over it is fairly easy though.

 

[Keeno]

Last night playing in the medal off a 12 handicap I played very well and took away a nice handicap cut.

Really happy with the way I played however I am still disappointed after a poor run in. After 7 I was 1 under par. 4 bogeys on the trot had that at 3 over. A nice run of pars saw me on the 17th tee at 3 over par with two easy holes to finish.

A fluffed chip and a 3 putt left me with a double bogey and a poor approach and 3 putts on 18 gave me a bogey.

I was trying so hard to stay calm on the last 2 holes and can't help but feel I wasted 3 shots due to wanting it too much.

So, how do you stay calm and focused in these situations?

If anyone gives you a decent answer please let me know?

I was -3 at the turn on Saturday and finished +4 ouch! I do find when I'm doing much better than normal, I get quite defensive and almost try to steer the ball round.

Next time I'm in the situation I will try and stay positive and aggressive,

 

[jamielaing]

Thanks for comments. For me the putting was on last night. 2 3 putts and still came in with 30 putts total which is good.

My issue was keeping my head right. I was fighting it from the fifth hole and felt I won the battle until the 17th green. I try not to count my score but as has been said that is hard to do when your score is low. I think the deep breath and not thinking ahead is good but so hard to apply.

I suffered on 17 due to panicking over it chasing an up and down for par. Then on 18 I probably didn't manage the hole as well as I could of but the second shot was unforgivable and I think that was purely the nerves and adreneline.

Not used to being in a strong position at all after 9. My course has a hard front nine and generally you look to make up shots on the back. I really struggled trying to keep ahead.

This is all mental golf in my opinion and if I could get a better grip of that I would be happy. Ironically I played the easy holes at the course significantly worse than the hard holes!

 

[Spear-Chucker]

Concentrate on the shot in hand when you're over it - do your best and move on. Distract yourself walking along talking about something else with your playing partners, look at wildlife, whatever. You can't stay focused on the round constantly so don't try to. Mostly, forget any expectations. If you're one under remember that you could finish the round in any number of ways; 5 under, the same, 21 over.. no way of telling. You're playing well to be in that position so use that confidence to chose the next shot wisely and just hit it.

If you really must have something to focus on, breathing slow and deep from the abdomen from time to time will help.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Concentrate on the shot in hand when you're over it - do your best and move on. Distract yourself walking along talking about something else with your playing partners, look at wildlife, whatever. You can't stay focused on the round constantly so don't try to. Mostly, forget any expectations. If you're one under remember that you could finish the round in any number of ways; 5 under, the same, 21 over.. no way of telling. You're playing well to be in that position so use that confidence to chose the next shot wisely and just hit it.

If you really must have something to focus on, breathing slow and deep from the abdomen from time to time will help.

Agree with trying to distract yourself between shots - I do this by listening to the birds and wind - and noticing things about nature around me. Makes me feel grateful for being on the golf course and how lucky I am in life in general. Maybe that reduces the 'importance' of golf to me as I walk along - puts things into perspective. A brilliant score isn't the most important thing in life, and missing out on one isn't going to be the worse thing.

 

[Spear-Chucker]

Agree with trying to distract yourself between shots - I do this by listening to the birds and wind - and noticing things about nature around me. Makes me feel grateful for being on the golf course and how lucky I am in life in general. Maybe that reduces the 'importance' of golf to me as I walk along - puts things into perspective. A brilliant score isn't the most important thing in life, and missing out on one isn't going to be the worse thing.

Perfectly put

 

[Marshy77]

Must admit I'm the opposite, I prefer to have a chat whilst deciding what I'm going to do whilst walking up to the ball. Love taking in the views around the course though, that does help too.

I think something like this is so individual that you probably need to find your own way of concentrating or finding a way to calm down.

 

[garyinderry]

Comes with being in that position more often.


Look at Liverpoolhil these days. He skips down the fairway making daisy chains whilst being 2under par when others like me are reaching for ciggys waiting for the walls to close in. :rofl:

 

[ScienceBoy]

As soon as I have a moment I tend to look around, take in a view or two and breathe deep. I also think about how lucky I am to be out and about. Pretty much what others have said above.

It's served me well across a good few sports (and other situations) and golf is no different.

One thing I do different is no matter how bad the weather or the pressure I tell myself I enjoy it (which often I actually do). Convincing myself I can cope with it better than others and even use it to help me play better is my advantage.

 

[Hobbit]

I know it might sound a bit simplistic but, for me, its about knowing what I want from the next shot, and only the next shot. Yes, when there's an absolute pearler of a score in the offing your mind will know what your current score is and what your end of round score could be. However, when I think of the possible end of score I constantly remind myself that it isn't a reality, only a hope. And that hope can't be achieved if I don't do a,b,c.

For example, if I'm stood on the 16th tee, level par, and know that 3 good shots will set me up for a birdie, all I'm interested in is the target from the tee. And then the target for my second shot and so on. I play target golf, with easy goals, it helps massively.

 

[SugarPenguin]

You use aggravation in to smashing your next shot. Works for me.

Im still stewing over the fact I birdied a hole last Saturday with a 40ft putt and nobody was tending the flag and I had to take a 2 shot penalty :rant:

I missed out on winning motorcaddy cart bag because of that and finishing second!

 

[Region3]

You use aggravation in to smashing your next shot. Works for me.

Im still stewing over the fact I birdied a hole last Saturday with a 40ft putt and nobody was tending the flag and I had to take a 2 shot penalty :rant:

I missed out on winning motorcaddy cart bag because of that and finishing second!

Are you mad at yourself or the others in your group?

 

[Smiffy]

This is where that old fashioned, oft derided, club throw comes into good effect.
Luzz it like you've never luzzed it before.

 

[SugarPenguin]

Are you mad at yourself or the others in your group?

100% mad at myself. I thought somebody was at the flag but they werent. I cannot complain about it.